Retros Day

Memento Park is more than just a sculpture park! The collection in Budapest’s 22nd district today also includes the Barracks Cinema, the Photo Exhibition, Stalin’s Grandstand, and the Warehouse Exhibition. On the first Sunday of October, however, visitors can enjoy an especially colorful series of programs. Retro Day is an event where the nostalgic elements of the era evoked by the statues come alive on Witness Square in front of the park.

The organizers are inviting owners of socialist-era cars who would like to showcase their vehicles, as well as anyone wishing to participate in the garage sale and retro flea market with items they no longer need or wish to sell. On Retro Day, the park will offer discounted admission, while pre-registered contributors will enjoy free entry.

Detailed program:

10:00 – “Comecon Market”: retro garage sale and swap meet on Witness Square in front of the park. A chance to get rid of unwanted items from the socialist era – or pick up an original “Excellent Worker” badge or a vintage Bambi soda bottle. Sellers must register in advance to secure a table. The market runs until early afternoon.

11:00 – “Who Knows More About Grandma’s Childhood?”: a quiz for children aged 6–14. What was more expensive – a bread roll or a tram ticket? How long did it take to get a phone line installed? How much foreign currency could be exchanged for holidays abroad? Astonishing facts and figures from the past.

13:00 – “Chasing Merkur”: socialist car meet-up. The Trabant is not only a sight to behold, but its unique sound and the bluish-grey smoke it emits are sure to bring tears to everyone’s eyes. Organizers are looking for more owners of socialist car treasures to fill the square in front of Stalin’s Boots.

14:00 – “Hit Parade from Two to Five”: a nostalgic vinyl music session. Which songs encouraged higher productivity? How did the “decadent” rock’n’roll clash with socialist pol-beat? Which genres competed with punk?

15:00 – “Osztapenko Changes Step”: a special guided tour of the park. Beyond the concept and history of Memento Park, visitors will learn whether James Bond or Bruce Willis ever met Lenin here, which statue has stood ten times longer in the park than in its original location, and where the Soviet soldier once hid behind the Hungarian worker.

17:00 – “Fridge Socialism in Budafok”: quiz, product showcase, and tastings of iconic goods from the 22nd district – items that survived the quality decline of mass socialist production and are now making a comeback.

18:00 – “I Am the Skála Kópé”: socialist-era commercials. How could ads promote products that were unavailable in shops? What did these commercials look like, and do they still resonate today? Forgotten yet iconic ads – from frozen chicken to Müszi snacks.

19:00 – “The Sexual Revolution of the Revolution”: a talk about the steamy side of the Kádár era. Lightly dressed women in East German magazines, erotic pin-up calendars from socialist enterprises, striptease ballpoint pens, and bars disguised as spy hubs.

20:00 – “Lenin’s Little Lamps”: flashlight night tour of the park. When the sun goes down and the statues are swallowed by darkness and silence, their true eerie nature comes out. Armed with flashlights and a guided tour, visitors will explore these former propaganda monuments in an entirely new, spine-chilling way.

Date: September 5, 2025
Venue: Memento Park, Budapest
Admission: Free

Find all tips for the best EVENTS IN BUDAPEST.